The Tale of One
by Uppie Puppy
Summary: One thing is all it takes to send someone over the edge. One word. One action. One kiss. One mission. One man. One day, Dick goes missing. One day he commits suicide. One day Wally's heart breaks. One day his life come crashing down around him. One man completes him. One man hides a secret. One man is his reason for living. Birdflash and some RavenXRoy. Self harm triggers.
1. Prologue

Richard Grayson stared out over Gotham city. His blue eyes scanning the rooftops for any sign of other people. He was fourteen now, and he was leaving. A bag lay at his side, full of everything he would need in his journey. Money, clothes, and his Robin suit. Of course, his spare one was still at the manor. He would never wear it again. He just…didn't belong here. He looked up at the moon, its light reflecting off of the black Kevlar suit he wore now, with a blue bird stretched across the front. With one last glance around the city, brought a mask up to his face, placed it over his eyes, blocking their electric light, and turned. As he walked away, the bag slung over his shoulder, he thought about what his fa- Bruce, would think. And, as fast as you could blink, he was gone.

 **NIGHTWING*3*NIGHTWING*3*NIGHTWING**

Bruce Wayne stepped through the manor, adjusting his tie slightly. He stopped just outside of a closed white door and knocked thrice.

"Dick? It's time for dinner," he said. When he received no reply, he knocked again. "Dick?" still no reply. He turned the doorknob and stepped into the room.

"Master Bruce, perhaps…" he froze when he discovered that his son wasn't there.

"Dick, we don't have time for games. We need to eat dinner so that we can go on patrol!" He said commandingly, stepping further into the room. A large orange envelope on the nightstand caught his attention, and he walked over to it, opening the flap quickly. Inside, he discovered a large handful of letters. After shuffling through them, he realized that they were addressed to all of Robin's team-mates, and a handful of the Justice League members. Four letters in the back of the pile, however, were what caught his attention. One was addressed to Alfred, one to Batman, one to Bruce, and one to Dad. He handed Alfred the envelope, told him to deliver them to the people they were written for, and slit open the envelope for Bruce.

 _Hey, Bruce_

 _Yeah, it's me. Dick. Thanks for everything. Thanks for the shelter and a place to call home. Basically, thanks for giving up some space. Even if you were never home to see me use it._

 _~Dick_

His heart slowly began to break. He knew where this was going. He opened the letter for Batman.

 _Batman_

 _I want you to know that I value your training. I value the life you gave me. I value the chance to be Robin. But all that's going to waste now, huh? The years of training, it's all going down the drain. Here's the thing. I knew what I was signing up for when I took on the name. I knew it would take work, practice, dedication. But what I didn't sign up for was this feeling. This feeling of emptiness that I have whenever I put on the suit. The feeling of anger that would come with that work. Because I was never good enough for you. Whenever we would train together, I would try to show you what I could do; how I'd improved…And every time, you would just look at me in disappointment. Tell me to keep working. Tell me that I'm not there yet. And it hurt! I would train until my bones creaked, and I still wasn't good enough for you! All those missions we failed, all those people who died! All because of me. Did I ever really deserve to be your sidekick?_

 _-Robin_

Bruce's hands shook as he opened the last letter and began reading.

 _Dear Daddy_

 _I love you. I really, really do. But you never loved me back. No one did. Not you, not the team. Maybe not even Alfred. I'm just so sick of it Dad! The numbness that I felt. Yeah, I seemed happy. But I wasn't. You knew about most of my scars, but what about the ones on my wrists? On my thighs? On my heart? Yeah, the physical ones will fade, but not the mental ones. Do you know how it felt to watch your father dote on another boy? Yes, I loved Jason like a brother, but I still wanted love. It hurt to know that you'd rather he than me. He who came after me. It hurt to know that you'd be happier with him, if only I wasn't there. So, now I'm not. By the time you find these letters, I'll be laying dead somewhere. In an alleyway, the bathroom, the bottom of the ocean. Who knows, really? Well, enjoy your time with your son. I hope, in time, you realize that all I needed, all I wanted, all I craved…_

 _Was love._

 _~Richard_


	2. Confrontation

*****TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER*****

Nightwing stared down at his wrist and sighed softly. His other hand held a razor, which he had just finished with. Blood streamed down the knotted skin in a river. He thought he's be happier. And he really was. He had a team who loved and respected him, and a city of his own to protect. So why did he feel so empty? He supposed it was because he had left knowing they would think he had committed suicide, but that was his own choice. And he had to throw them off of his trail. Especially Batman. His new team didn't know about his past, except Raven. Nightwing rolled down his sleeve and pulled on his glove, clenching his fist inside it. No one else ever would. The alarms suddenly started blaring above his head, and he raced into the central area quickly.

"Cyborg! What's going on?"

"Unknown personnel in central park. Six of them. And four appear to have superpowers," the boy said as he typed away on the computer. Nightwing turned to Raven.

"Can you get us there?"

"Of course, Nightwing," she said softly. Starfire touched his shoulder gently.

"But Wing of Night, did you not say that this next mission would be one without your guidance?" Nightwing bit his lip.

"I did, Star. And I'm not going back on my word, but I still want to be there in case things get messy," without Batman holding him to a specific style, he had thrived. And now was easily one of the best fighters in the world. Superior even to Batman. Raven called up a portal, and they all stepped through it and into the night.

 **NIGHTWING*3*NIGHTWING*3*NIGHTWING**

"This is so _boring,"_ Artemis said. Again. "Why are we here?" Aqualad answered her this time.

"Because Batman received word that Deathstroke may be hiding in this city," he said lowly. "Now please, stop complaining, before you give away our position!"

"Too late for that bro," Aqualad whipped around and came face-to-face with four heroes whom he had never seen in his life. The small green one was the one who'd spoken.

"Titans go!" They launched into battle. Aqualad leaped at the green boy, only to be taken down when he suddenly turned into a jaguar and jumped on him He was held to the ground, claws digging into his sides and teeth growling in his face. _That is the fastest I have ever lost a battle._ He thought as he looked into the electric green eyes in his face. He heard his companions struggling around him, but wasn't able to turn and look.

Kid Flash zipped through the streets, on the run from the orange red-headed girl. He heard a shout behind him and realized that M'gann had finally gotten to her. He continued to run, though. If he could find a safe place to hide. He could call Batman and Robin. Robin, as in Jason Todd. Not his own little Dickie-bird. It had been two and a half years since he'd committed suicide. They'd never found the body, and assumed Joker or some other villain picked it up. Either that, or he was down at the bottom of the ocean. A little while after the death, Wally realized why it had affected him so much more than the others. He loved him. To be honest, he had known for a while, he just hadn't wanted to admit it to himself. Dick was gone now, but he still loved him. He always would.

"Going somewhere?" he froze in his tracks at the menacing growl that shuddered through him. He stared around, his green eyes shining in the half-light the streetlights provided, but he couldn't see anyone. "Will you never learn?"

"Who's there?!"

"Apparently not," Kid Flash whipped out his communicator and sent out an SOS signal just before a blade sunk into it. He inspected the silver object. It was made in a very similar fashion to the Batman's, but in the shape of a bird. Not a bat.

"Nice bird-a-rang," he chuckled. The voice stayed silent. Kid Flash pulled out the knife and through it toward where he had last heard the voice. It hit the wall with an echoing clang.

"You missed."

"Yeah, thanks for the info," KF said, feeling anger rising inside him. That was another thing. No one was the same since Robin had died. He looked around in the shadows, watching for any movement.

"You know, for the fastest boy in the world, you can be pretty slow," there it was again! That voice, deep and rumbling. The one that lit a fire in his soul.

"I've heard it before," he said shortly. There! Just there, he saw the man, dressed in a black suit with a blue bird on the front, leaning against the streetlight in front of him. But as fast as he saw him, he disappeared.

"And yet, you hardly ever listen, do you Kid Flash?"

"How do you know who I-"

"Please. Who doesn't?" Kid Flash nodded slightly.

"True," he said smugly.

"But not everyone knows you like I do," the man was suddenly revealed, walking out into the light. His face appeared from the darkness, smirking arrogantly, and Kid Flash found himself wondering where he had seen that smirk before. "Nightwing's the name. Don't wear it out," he said, extending a hand for KF to shake. As he reached out a gloved hand and grasped Nightwing's he suddenly got the feeling that he had made a very grave mistake. His feeling proved true when his hand was grasped in a vice-like grip and he was flipped over and onto his back in the street. He groaned at the force of the impact and made to stand, but a foot on his chest made it impossible.

"Come on, man…" Nightwing's face appeared in front of his own, that sexy smirk playing on his face.

"That was a bad choice, Mr. Flash," he said. His eyes suddenly narrowed, the smirk fell from his face, and his voice, if possible, got even deeper. "You're in my territory now, not yours, Wallace," Wally's eyes shot wide as his name left Nightwing's lips. They stared at each other for a moment before a whizzing sound interrupted the silence. Nightwing didn't move anything but his left hand, where he caught one of Robin's blades in-between nothing but two fingers. He turned to look at it. Inspecting the craftsman ship of the metal.

"Not bad. But...the old Robin could have done better," he chuckled darkly. Nightwing finally, _finally,_ moved his foot off of Kid Flash's chest and stood.

"Stand down," Batman's voice came from the shadows. Nightwing ignored it and threw the robin back to its owner.

"Long time, no see, eh Batsy? How are things in Gotham?" he folded his arms behind his back, and Wally admired his posture, his confidence.

"I don't know who you are, kid, but I've never seen you before," Batman said. And with a simple step to the side, Nightwing had avoided the kick that Batman had thrown at his head.

"Have you forgotten me that fast?" Nightwing's hand whipped up and caught Robin's foot in mid-kick. He looked down at the startled boys face, a bored expression on his own. "I see you've forgotten the… _real_ Robin just as fast as you forgot me," he said with a growl. He gripped Robin's foot and whipped him around, throwing him into the wall behind him. Batman jumped forward with a snarl as Robin dropped to the floor.

"I have never forgotten the first Robin! But he's dead now, and I needed to move on!" Nightwing and Batman engaged in a full-out fist fight, and for a minute, it seemed that Batman had the upper hand, then there was a change, and soon Nightwing began to show his real strength.

"But must you have moved on so soon? I know Dickie would have been devastated if he heard the news. Hardly a month since he'd died, and you replaced him with some kid off the streets," he pouted. "How sad." Batman launched himself at Nightwing furiously.

"What do you know?" he roared. Nightwing laughed softly and sidestepped every punch, every kick that came his way.

"So angry. I thought you knew better," and with a swish, Nightwing pulled out his escrima sticks and crouched, ready for a real fight. "Now, Robin, would you care to join us? How about you, Kid Flash?" Nightwing gestured to both of them. Robin attempted to rush him, throwing a flurry of hits at his upper body, flipping and landing gracefully. Nightwing yawned as he blocked the blows. Then Robin finally got one in, a kick just above the collar bone. Nightwing stepped back and rotated his arm experimentally, a smirk growing on his face.

"Not bad, kid. But…" he paused, staring menacingly at the boy and watching his face grow into an expression of fear. In a flash, he was there behind him, whispering into his ear. "You've still got a lot to learn." He grabbed Robin's arm and twisted it, flipping him over his back and onto the ground behind him. Kid Flash and Batman stormed him at the same time. "Now we're getting somewhere! Raven! Hold them and get over here!"

"Yes, Nightwing!" Nightwing waited until the absolute last second and jumped out of the way of Batman, directly into the path of Kid Flash. Within a few seconds, he looked down at the stab wound in his stomach, pulling out a small dagger and tossing it behind him, looking at the growing blood stain on his suit.

"Huh. Forgot about that trick. It won't happen again." Robin was up again, and Nightwing found himself facing three assailants. One with years more experience, one with super-speed, and one martial artist. Robin jumped at him, Batman at his side, and together they tossed a flurry of blows at Nightwing, who hissed when Batman landed a well placed kick on his right arm, snapping the bone in half. He worked through the pain, soon shaking of Robin. It took a bit more time with Batman, but he eventually prevailed.

" _Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"_ All three of his opponents suddenly found themselves bound and gagged in impenetrable black magic. Nightwing grunted.

"Nice timing, Rae," he said, holding his arm. Raven ran over to him in concern and reached for his arm.

"Let me see, Nightwing," she said. Nightwing pulled his arm out of her grasp.

"It's fine," he said insistently. Raven shot him a look and grabbed his arm, leaning in to whisper into his ear while making it look like she was just inspecting the bone.

"You don't need to act tough in front of them. You just beat Batman, I think accepting help for a broken bone is in order. They have no idea who you are anyway's," she hissed. Nightwing sighed and let her mess with his arm, creating a simple splint with her magic and binding it tightly to his arm. The rest of the team arrived, and Nightwing finally saw the rest of the Young Justice League, who were all inside of a large transparent cage. Robin and Batman were bound side-by-side against it, and Kid Flash had been placed in his own bubble, which now merged with the cage, reuniting him with the rest of the team. Nightwing stepped toward them slowly and stopped in front of them.

"What are you all doing here?" he asked menacingly. Cyborg stepped up next to him, adding his own imposing presence to Nightwing's. Aqualad stepped forward in the cage and began speaking.

"Please, let us speak to your leader," he said, eyeing Cyborg. Nightwing stepped forward and gripped the front of his outfit, pulling him against the bars of the cage. He was much smaller than Cyborg, yes, but he was just as powerful. Aqualad was still judging on size.

"Then speak to me," he growled, releasing the frightened man. Aqualad stumbled back until M'gann caught him, Red Arrow by her side. Artemis jumped forward.

"Hey!"

"Artemis! Stand down. We are in his city," Aqualad admitted grudgingly. "We're here to investigate a lead we have on a criminal hiding out here. May we have your name?" Nightwing smirked. They really didn't know who he was. How amusing.

"How rude of me! I'm Nightwing. And this is my team, the Teen Titans. Introduce yourself, please,"

"I am called Starfire. I am the princess of Tamaran!" Starfire said enthusiastically.

"Wattup? I'm Beast Boy! I turn into animals!" Beast Boy said, turning into a dog for emphasis.

"I'm Cyborg. Half man, half robot," Cyborg said. Nightwing noticed with some satisfaction that M'gann flinched back in fear at the gaze he gave them.

"Raven. Half-demon," Raven said, giving Nightwing a glance as her eyes shone red for a moment.

"We are-"

"Oh, I know who you are," Nightwing interrupted Aqualad mid-sentence. The team froze. Nightwing walked up to Artemis, who glared deeply at him.

"Artemis Crock. Daughter of the Sportsmaster, fantastic archer, and not always as angry as you pretend to be." Nightwing smirked at her startled expression before moving toward M'gann.

"Megan Morse. M'gann M'orzz. Miss Martian. A real sweetheart, yes? Innocent in the ways of the earth. Niece of the legendary Martian Manhunter. But you refuse to reveal your true identity to the team." Her eyes filled with tears as he finished his monologue, and Superboy came over to comfort her.

"Connor Kent. Superboy. The boy who isn't a boy at all, but rather a clone of the great Superman. Whom you wish you could be." Superboy glared at him deeply.

"Roy Harper. Speedy. Red Arrow. In the same position as Superboy aren't you? You're a clone of the real Roy, and you just can't seem to find him. Great archer, terrible at holding your temper." Roy glared at him, clenching his fists as he walked over to Kid Flash.

"Kaldur'ahm. Aqualad. Leader of the Young Justice League. Protégé to Aquaman. Calm. Steady. But there's still something you're not telling the team, yes?" Aqualad bowed his head, shame written across his features.

"Wallace West. Kid Flash. Mindless flirt, but you refuse to come out to your friends. You told two people, and one of them…is gone. The other is standing right behind you. You're funny, optimistic. But here's a word of advice. Listen to your friends. They may be trying to tell you something, but you won't stop and listen." Nightwing reached forward and pulled Wally forward, secretly slipping a note into his glove. Wally's eyes were filled with fear as he pulled himself away from the younger man.

"Jason Todd. Robin. Batman's new sidekick. You took over after the first Robin died. You thought of him as an older brother, which, in a way, he was. An orphan, Batman found you on the streets and took you in." Jason's eyes squeezed shut, and he turned his face away from Nightwing.

"Nightwing! You're side!" Nightwing looked down to where Raven was pointing. He had forgotten about the stab wound. The cloaked girl flew over to him and placed her hands on the patch of blood. "I can only stop the bleeding temporarily. We'll need to dress the wound once we get back to the tower," she said. Nightwing nodded and allowed her to work while Cyborg stepped forward.

"Here's the deal. You have one week. This is our city. Our crime. You get one week to find and take this criminal, whoever he may be. In that week you will have free reign over the city. You may go where you like, sleep where you like, eat where you like. Tell them that you are there with the blessing of the night, and no one will question you. However, you still must pay for whatever resources you use. And if you're not gone by the end of the week," Cyborg's eye narrowed. "So be it."

"Titans! Back to the tower now," Nightwing called. Everyone headed off in their own ways of flight, and Nightwing turned back one last time before he followed. "I'll be watching," he said. Then he stepped into the shadows and disappeared. The cage and bindings vanished, letting everyone move freely once again. Wally stepped forward and watched the team leave. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up into the eyes of Artemis.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked. Wally wiped his eyes and nodded slowly. Artemis looked at him.

"Team, I think it's time we had a meeting." All seven teens crowded in the center of the street and looked to Batman.

"I'm leaving. Gotham needs me. Jason, stay here. I can manage on my own for a week. And Aqualad," he looked at the tanned boy. "Respect them. This is their city, and we don't need enemies as powerful as them." Aqualad nodded once, and Batman turned away. The team gathered and began walking away, looking for a place to stay for the week. Eventually they settled for a small grove of trees on a cliff on the east side of town. Wally sat on the edge, staring out at a large, T-shaped tower about a quarter mile from the shore. He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Aqualad walking toward him.

"Hey, man," he said softly. Aqualad sat next to him, looking at the domino mask he held.

"You know, Wally, Robin knew that you loved him," he said. Wally stared up at the stars.

"Did he?" he asked. "I never really told him."

"Wally…" Aqualad sighed and stood, placing a hand on his shoulder. "If you need to talk, I'm here. Please don't hold back," he said as he began walking back toward camp. Wally hesitated for a moment, and then stood and ran after him.

"Hey Kaldur?"

"Yes?"

"I…" Wally trailed off. How was he supposed to come out now? After all these years of mindless flirting, just to keep them off his trail? He took a deep breath and continued. "That thing that Nightwing was talking about, that I had been keeping from you? Well…I-ugh…I'm gay," he said. Aqualad looked a little shocked, but kept his cool.

"Why did you not tell us?" he asked.

"Because…because gay people aren't appreciated. Much less gay heroes. I just…" Aqualad smiled.

"Thank you for telling me."

 **NIGHTWING*3*NIGHTWING*3*NIGHTWING**

The titans returned to the tower, exhausted and ready for bed. As Nightwing bade his team-mates farewell for the night, he was interrupted by Beast Boy.

"Hey, Nightwing? How do you know so much about them?" Nightwing froze and looked at Raven. The cloaked girl nodded encouragingly.

"Just tell them," she said. Nightwing sighed slowly.

"You might want to sit down. We're going to be here for a while," he said. A strand of his ebony hair fell into his eyes, and Starfire tenderly brushed it away on her way to the living room. Raven walked up to him with a roll of bandages in her hands.

"Shirt off," she commanded. Nightwing laughed and unzipped the back of his suit, letting it fall around his ankles, Raven handed him a pair of jeans, which he pulled on, and then she started cleaning and wrapping his wound while he thought about what he would say to the team. Raven, seeming to read his thoughts, spoke without looking up. "They won't judge you, you know," she said. Nightwing nodded.

"I know…" he whispered. Raven sighed as she turned over his wrists.

"Nightwing…" she muttered. "I thought you stopped!" Nightwing pulled his hands from her grasp, hissing as he moved his broken arm. Raven said a few words under her breath, and the bone instantly mended. Then she looked up at his face and touched his cheek.

"I'm sorry, Raven."

"No, don't apologize to me. It's not your fault that you feel the way you do," she said. "But…this won't help anything."

"I know, Raven. But…" he paused at the sound of laughter coming from the living room. "How am I supposed to tell them?" Raven looked into his masked eyes. She saw nothing but the white film that was stretched over them, hiding the sapphire blue she had grown to love.

"No Nightwing. No Robin. Just be Dick," she whispered. "You'll find a way." Nightwing nodded and hugged her quickly as he pulled on a black sweater and together they walked into the living room, where the rest of the team awaited an explanation.

"Titans," he said. "We're going to have a meeting now. Beast Boy asked me a question, and I'm here to answer it, but first you must promise me that you will not tell anyone the things you learn in this room. Ever." The team nodded, and he looked down at the ground, trying to figure out how to word this.

"So, uh, Nightwing…who were they?" Thank you Cyborg.

"They were my old team," he heard a gasp from Starfire and looked up to see the shocked faces of his friends staring at him. All except Raven, who just nodded encouragingly. "I was once a member of the Young Justice League, but I left on bad terms. As you could see, they didn't recognize me,"

"Who were you then?" Nightwing sighed at Beast Boy's question. He reached up and pulled off his mask. No one but Raven had ever seen his face. No one but Raven knew who he was. He looked up, and chuckled softly at the perplexed faces that looked back at him.

"I was Robin."


	3. Explanation

**Sorry for the false update! Here's the REAL chapter! Please review!**

"I was once a member of the Young Justice League, but I left on bad terms. As you could see, they didn't recognize me."

"Who were you then?" Nightwing sighed at Beast Boy's question. He reached up and pulled off his mask. No one but Raven had ever seen his face. No one but Raven knew who he was. He looked up, and chuckled softly at the perplexed faces that looked back at him.

"I was Robin." At this, all hell broke loose. The three who didn't know asking him question after question, he and Raven trying to calm them down. "Enough! I will answer your questions, but you must let me explain first!" they calmed down eventually, and Dick leaned against the table again, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Just start from the beginning, Dick," Raven said softly. Dick sighed and nodded.

"When I was a little boy, I lived in a circus. My mom, dad and I were the flying Graysons, the greatest trapeze act of the time. We always performed without a net, which made it more exciting, because there was the danger of actually dying if you fell. Even at six years old, I was stronger than most of the people in my school. More flexible than the girls. Faster than the boys. Then one day, a few years later, someone removed the bolts on the trapeze bar. It couldn't handle the weight of both of my parents, and they fell. Right as they were about to grab me," Dick looked out the window, where the first few stars were starting to show. "I swore vengeance on their murderer. Then I found out the secret identity of Batman, and he offered to train me as his sidekick. My original name was going to be Batboy, but I remembered something my mom had said the day she died. 'When I see you up there, it makes me think of a little robin'. And thus, Robin was born. He trained me so that I could get revenge on my parents killer. And then I was introduced to Young Justice. And even though I had food, shelter, friends, and a kind father…I wasn't happy. I was becoming Batman. I started self-harming, trying to get some feeling back. When that didn't work, I fell deeper into my little pit. To the point where I still haven't been able to climb out. One day, I decided to leave. I bought a new suit, wrote some letters to make it seem like I was committing suicide, and left. I came to Jump City, where Raven found me in my Robin suit, about to jump off of the east cliff. She got me to stop, and when we found you guys, I realized that Robin was dead. Robin was, but not Dick Grayson. And certainly not Nightwing. So, here I am now," Dick said. Starfire stood and flew over to him, wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

"Oh, Wing of Night! Do not despair! We love you!" Dick wrapped his arms around her and hugged her right back. Soon enough, all five members of the team were all participating in one large group hug. When they pulled apart, beast Boy looked at him with a glint in his eyes.

"So wait, is there anything going on with you and Raven?" Dick shot an alarmed look at Raven, who wore a similar expression.

"No! No, no, no!"

"Absolutely not!"

"You _sure_ dude?" Dick nodded and sighed.

"Yeah, I'm sure. There's one more thing, I'm gay," he said quietly. The room froze. Even Raven hadn't known that. Just as Dick was starting to feel uncomfortable with the silence-

"Ha! I knew it! You owe me fifty, Cyborg!" they all looked to the small green shape-shifter in shock. He just shrugged and held out his hand, where Cyborg slapped some money. They spent the night laughing and talking, until Nightwing looked at the clock and realized how late it was.

"Shoot! I've got to be somewhere in fifteen minutes!" he rushed from the room, leaving the team to stare after him. A few minutes later they saw a figure race toward the elevator. The man turned around and smiled at them before leaping out the window. All that he left behind was the remains of a chilling cackle that echoed throughout the room.

"Uh…dude's…was that Nightwing?" Raven smiled.

"No. That was Robin."

 **NIGHTWING*3*NIGHTWING*3*NIGHTWING**

Wally looked down at the slip of paper in his hands.

 _Bluestream Construction- 12:00_

Well, he was on the roof of Bluestream Construction, which was now dark and empty, and it was 11:59, so where was Nightwing? His suit was in stealth mode, so it was harder for any pedestrians to see him. Then, right as the clock hit twelve, he heard a slight thud behind him.

"About time!" he turned around, facing Nightwing full on. The man laughed and walked to the edge of the roof with him, sitting on the edge and gesturing for Wally to join him. Wally sat down hesitantly, looking at Nightwing, who was gazing over the city with love and sadness in his eyes.

"So, how are you Wally?" Wally laughed.

"If you're going to call me Wally, then I think I deserve to know your name," he said. Nightwing shook his head.

"I don't think you want to. Call me Night," he said softly. "Now. Back to the first question; How are you?"

"Well, I suppose it's all how you look at it, isn't it? I could say I was fine, but you and your little mind games ruined that excuse. And you know it too, don't you?" he looked over at Night, who just looked at him sadly.

"I guess I do," he whispered. They sat in silence for a moment.

"Why did you want to meet with me?" Wally asked. Nightwing was silent for a moment.

"Because you remind me of someone I knew a long time ago. Someone I loved," he said. Wally nodded, but a question was nagging at him. And he wanted it answered.

"Who are you?" he blurted out. Nightwing paused.

"Me? I'm Nightwing, leader of the Teen Titans, a hero," he said with a shrug. Wally shook his head.

"No, I mean really. Who are you, really?" Nightwing sighed, staring off into the distance for several minutes before answering in the merest of whispers.

"I'm a shadow. A whisper of my former self. I took the old me, threw him away, and recreated him. Better this time. And what we have now is Nightwing, not R-anyone else," Wally narrowed his eyes at Nightwing's small slip up.

"I feel like I should know you," he muttered. Nightwing looked at him, and he found himself staring into masked eyes.

"I feel like you should, too," he said.

"What about my team? Should they know you?" Nightwing gazed out over the city for a moment in silence.

"Perhaps. To honor old friends," he said softly. Wally looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that though people fade, memories never do," Nightwing said. Then he stood and stretched his arms above his head. He could think of nothing better to do. "How do you feel like sparring? No super-powers, no weapons, just hand-to-hand combat?" Wally stood.

"Uh…alright," he said, beginning to stretch himself. Nightwing smirked, and yet again he found himself wondering where he had seen it before. They got into their ready poses and the spar began when Wally leaped at Nightwing with a high roundhouse kick. His eyes widened when his leg was caught in a vice-grip by his opponent and he was flipped over his shoulder and onto the ground. He groaned and stood, but by then Nightwing was gone. "Night? You there, bro?" he looked up to see one of the most frightening images in his life. Nightwing was flying down on him, his arms spread and one leg down, the other bent at the knee. He jumped out of the way just in time to avoid being squashed like a bug.

"Nice," Nightwing said, standing straight and walking back over to the edge of the roof. Wally looked at him.

"That's it?"

"Yup." Wally shrugged and walked over to sit next to Nightwing, where he caught sight of something he didn't want to see.

"Hey Night? What's that on your wrist?" Nightwing looked down and quickly adjusted his glove so that his arm was completely hidden. Wally sighed and reached for his own glove. "You can tell me, you know. I have the same scars," he said, pulling off the red glove to reveal the last year and a half's worth of cuts and scars. Nightwing looked at him.

"No, Wallace, you don't deserve this. Why?" Nightwing said. Wally pulled his glove back on and swung his feet slightly, looking the darker man directly in the eyes.

"Because it's my fault Robin died. It's my fault Dick committed suicide. And so..." he gestured toward his now gloved hand. "You?" Nightwing growled.

"I've been doing it since I was thirteen. No one loved me. Heck, even I didn't love me. I was an outcast, had no friends, so on so forth. It's an addiction now," he said. "Don't let that become you."

"I-I'm sorry," Wally said humbly. Nightwing waved him off.

"It's not your fault," he said, standing. "Now we should get back to bed. I'll drop by your camp in the morning."

"Do you know where it is?"

"I know everything that goes on in this city, West. Now come, our teams will be getting worried," Nightwing said. He held out his hand for Wally to grasp, and they were off.

 ***Time skip to the next morning brought to you by a lazy author***

Wall awoke to a gentle shake on the shoulder.

"Hey Wally. It's Nightwing. Uh…you're team is having a bit of trouble believing that I come in peace. Especially Roy," Wally jumped up and stepped next to Nightwing's side, wide awake in an instant.

"Whoa guys! Guys! Stand down! It's okay! He's a friend," he said. M'gann, Robin and Aqualad instantly lowered their weapons, but the other three kept them out. Nightwing rose his hands, placed them behind his head, and knelt before Aqualad.

"Please, stand down. I come only to see if I can prove useful in any way," he said humbly. Aqualad rose a closed fist, and the three reluctantly lowered their guard. Aqualad held out his hand, and Nightwing took it as he stood, shaking once and letting go. "Now, who are you looking for?" Aqualad hesitated before answering.

"We received word that Deathstroke may be hiding in this city. It is our mission to find and terminate him as quickly as possible." Nightwing rose an eyebrow.

"Deathstroke, huh? Can't help you there. He stops by quite a bit, but he doesn't hide here. We believe he's somewhere in Arabia now," he paused and smiled mischievously. "Or so the trackers indicate." Aqualad cursed under his breath and reached up to his left ear.

"Aqualad to Batman. Aqualad to Batman. We have new information on Deathstroke," he said. Nightwing stepped back and turned to Wally.

"Is he always this high strung?" Wally nodded sadly.

"Ever since Robin died, yeah," he said. Nightwing turned back to the League and waved cheekily at Red Arrow's glare. Honestly, it destroyed him that his two best friend's didn't recognize him. That his own father didn't hurt even more. But oh well. Aqualad turned back to the team.

"Batman wants us to stay stationed at Jump as long as possible, if he still hasn't shown, he and Superman will go to Arabia to check. We're going to need more supplies," he said. Nightwing coughed slightly to get their attention. Once they had all turned toward him, he began speaking.

"I would like to offer you food and shelter. Come stay in the Titan's tower with us. We certainly have enough room," he said. Aqualad hesitated and turned to the rest of the team. They all gathered a few yards away and huddled.

"What do you guys think?" he asked. Wally nodded enthusiastically.

"We need the shelter, and the food. Plus, think of what we could learn from them! I haven't seen a team of teens work so smoothly together since the Justice League!" Aqualad nodded to acknowledge Wally's statement.

"Well, if you ask me," Artemis began. "It could be dangerous. Have you seen Nightwing fight? He's crazy! We'll all be murdered in our beds!" Wally cut in.

"I don't think that's true. I talked to him last night, and he's actually pretty nice. He reminds me a bit of…the original Robin," he said, sending a glance at Jason, who dipped his head in understanding.

"I agree with Wally. Their experience and technique is phenomenal, and we do need the supplies," M'gann said. Jason nodded.

"I think the same," he said. Aqualad nodded.

"Then it has been decided," he said. The team looked at each other for a moment before breaking up and walking toward Nightwing, who was leaning against a tree and casually picking at his perfect teeth. "We would gladly like to accept your generous offer, Nightwing," Aqualad said. Nightwing stood up straight and clapped his hands together, a smile on his face.

"Excellent! Let's go then!" he said. A few minutes later, they were packed and standing in front of the doors to the large tower, which seemed a lot bigger up close. Then they were entered into the system so that they could get in and out without a problem, and took the elevator up to the very top floor. They stepped off of the elevator and were greeted by a very peculiar sight. Beast Boy and Cyborg fought over the videogame console on the couch, Starfire was bent over the stove, poking at a casserole and talking to a large pink bug-like creature, and Raven was reading amidst the chaos. Nightwing stepped into the room and all the teens immediately looked toward him, their eyes widening at the sight of the people behind him. "Titans! We have guests! The Young Justice league will be staying with us until the end of their week. Any objections?" none came. "Good," he led them down a hallway on the right, where eight doors were lined up, four on each side.

"Thank you for your generosity, Nightwing."

"Of course! Of course! My team and I are here to help. Anything you need, we're in the other hall," he said, walking away. The team glanced around before heading into a room each. Wally, Roy, and the girls instantly claimed the rooms with windows, and the other three were left with the rooms on the inside.

 **Thank you for reading! I'm hoping to keep this story on a mostly constant schedule, hopefully an update every Sunday.**

 **Please review! See you later, tulips!**


	4. Training

**WHAT IS LIFE?**

 **SCHOOL SUCKS**

 **HOMEWORK IS AWFUL**

 **AND I NO LONGER HAVE A COMPUTER**

Aqualad stood in the doorway to the dark room, looking in at the immaculate interior. He walked in and turned on the lights, placing his bag on the black bedspread. He jumped when he heard Nightwing's deep voice behind him.

"How're you settling in, Aqualad?" he turned around and faced the man, who, he realized in shock, was in civvies. He was leaning against the doorway in a black hoodie with a blue Nightwing symbol on it, a pair of black jeans, sneakers, and a pair of sunglasses exactly like the ones Robin used to wear. Aqualad smiled at him.

"It's coming along," he said. Nightwing stepped into the room.

"And the team?"

"Fine," Nightwing nodded, and Aqualad took this opportunity to ask the question that'd been nagging at him since the fight. "How did you do that?" Nightwing looked at him in confusion.

"How'd I do what?"

"All of that mind stuff back there, in the fight. How did you manage to win just by unsettling us?" he asked. Nightwing smiled.

"It's like my old mentor always told me, 'If you want to win the battle outside, you must first win the battle inside'. Not exactly what he meant by it, as he was referring to training, but it works," he laughed, sending chills up Aqualad's spine. He'd heard that somewhere before.

"And…who was your old mentor?" Nightwing instantly stopped laughing. The smile fell from his face and his expression became one of pain and anger.

"That is none of your concern," he spat. Aqualad stepped back, fear clouding his mind. Nightwing sighed and moved is glasses up to rub the bridge of his nose. He turned back to Aqualad, the glasses falling back into place, and gave a soft smile. "Sorry. Bad memories. We- the Titan's and I –were wondering if you'd like to come on a mid-day patrol with us. Get to know the city better," he said. Aqualad nodded. Perhaps Nightwing really didn't mean any harm. He seemed much more complex than he let on, and his past seemed to haunt him. Perhaps, one day, Aqualad would find out why that was. They gathered the team and headed into the living room. Aqualad was in his usual gray hoodie and jeans, M'gann had become Megan Morse, Superboy Connor Kent, and the others simply wore average, every day public clothes. He turned to the Titans, but to his shock, they had covered up quite well. Cyborg was in a gray hoodie, the hood pulled up over his baseball cap, and a baggy pair of jeans. Beast boy was dressed the same. Starfire had put her hair up elaborately and was dressed in a tank top and mini shorts. Luckily, her skin tone wasn't as different as the rest of them. Raven had on a pair of black jeans, a purple sweater, and a black baseball cap with a purple symbol on it. The teams looked each other up and down a moment before heading toward the elevator. Aqualad caught a glance of Nightwing talking softly to Raven, a worried look on his face, and felt concern flood him for this man he had only met the night before.

"So, uh, Nightwing. What exactly did you do before you joined the Titans?" Wally asked. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket and watched for Nightwing's reaction. It was not quite what he had expected. An expression of sadness, anger, and fear passed over his face only a moment before he collected his emotions again.

"You know, wandered the streets. Looking for work. My dad didn't exactly…father me, so I hung out with my friend's a lot. Trained. Studied. You know, things a fourteen year old boy would do," Nightwing shrugged and Wally stared at him.

"Wait, how old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Dude! You're only sixteen and you beat the Batman? Wicked!" Nightwing smiled at Wally's ecstatic voice. They hit the streets of Jump, on the watch for any activity that could come off as suspicious. They made their way through the maze of roads, avenues, and boulevards, and stopped by a small restaurant for lunch. Nightwing, after noticing Robin sitting alone while the two teams conversed, moved over to sit across from him.

"So, New Robin, huh?" Robin looked up at him, as if he wasn't expecting him to talk to him.

"Y-yeah. Batman gave me the job after the old Robin…" he trailed off, sadness filling his eyes. They sat in silence for a moment, Nightwing looking at the ground and Jason staring at his plate. "Did…did you know him? The old Robin, I mean?"

"I'm not sure I understand," Nightwing said gently. Jason took a deep breath and looked up.

"Like, where you friends?" he asked. Nightwing nodded, realizing what he was asking.

"Yeah. He- he didn't exactly have a great life. Which I'm sure you understand, being his little brother and all," he said. Jason nodded.

"Thanks," he whispered. Nightwing reached out and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, for the record, I didn't mean the other thing I said. About the old Robin being better. I'm sure you're just as qualified as him," he said with a smile, cocking his head to the side slightly. Jason laughed softly.

"I wish! You should hear Batman during training. It's always 'Dick this' and 'Dick that'," he said bitterly. "I know I'll never live up to his legacy, but…I still wish he would accept the fact that I'm not Dick! I'm Jason. Completely new kid. Yeah, I'm his son, but sometimes…I don't feel like it," he sighed and seemed to shrink in his chair, crossing his arms and glaring down at the ground angrily. Nightwing hesitated, then, sighing in defeat, pulled him in for a hug.

"I know how you feel, kid. Hey, do you want to go on a special training exercise with me later? When we get the others back to the tower?" he asked. Jason's eyes lit up.

"Heck yeah! What kind of mission? Patrol? Crushing the bad guys?" Nightwing smiled secretively and told the teams to head back to the tower while he and Jason went on a special mission. The Titan's left without question, but the Young Justice League were more hesitant in their retreat. Roy stepped toward the pair and leaned into Nightwing's face.

"Take care of our little brother," he hissed. Nightwing mock-saluted him as he headed out the door. The pair stopped in a dark alleyway to change into their super-suits, and within minutes they were up on the rooftops, flipping from one to the next.

"So, really, what _are_ we doing?" Nightwing turned toward Robin and smirked.

"Playing tag," he said simply. Robin looked at him curiously.

"Playing ta- you're kidding, right?" Nightwing shook his head and stretched his arms above his head, wincing as he stretched his torso, where he still had a stab wound lurking. Robin sighed in disappointment.

"Hey! Don't look so down, Robin! Believe me when I say that I know what I'm doing." Nightwing smiled at the boy, who nodded and looked at him. But he was already gone. A voice suddenly appeared in his ear, a light touch on his shoulder coming with it. "You're it." Robin whipped around, and, yet again, found that Nightwing had vanished. He smirked. This was going to be interesting.

 **Thanks so, so much for the favs and follows!**

 **Question of the day: Favorite DC hero?**

 **Please review, I reply!**


	5. AN

**Y'all are going to hate me.**

 **I'm discontinuing this story.**

 _ **FOR**_ **NOW**

 **I will get around to rewriting this, I promise! I actually love this story and I don't want to stop it. Here are my reasons, for all you sad peeps out there.**

 **The style. I wrote ONE STORY in present-tense, and now I am unable to make myself return to past-tense, and I DON'T KNOW WHY**

 **Plot flaws. I am finding so many little spots in the plot where I'm like "no". I am going to fill these in, as well as slow down the story because holy SHIT it's moving fast!**

 **I want to write what YOU want. What ships do you want? Who do you want to figure out Dick's identity first? How long should it have been? Should he-...holy fuck I just got an idea.**

 **EXCUSE ME WHILE I POWDER MY KNEES**

 ***Author pending***

 **...**

 **Okay.**

 **Okay.**

 **Do y'all want it to stay as the team showing up right AFTER Nightwing gets out of Slade's grasp, or should they help RESCUE him?**

 **#helpimhavingacrisis**

 **Rest assured that I will be back! And know that this will be continued! Just... different.**

 **I'll let you know when it's up, Tulips!**

 **~Rose**


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